The Whitaker Corporation

Dale R Ryan

Richard L Schaeffer, Jr

David B Weaver

Eric Kootte

Steven T Merkt

A machine (10) is disclosed for inserting terminals (22) into a substrate (14). The machine (10) includes an insertion head (90) having an improved mechanism for shearing the terminal (22) from its carrier strip (26). The shearing mechanism includes a die (124) and opposing punch (130) arranged to cooperatively engage the terminal to sever it from its carrier strip. A pair of pivoting cam arms (154), each having a die side cam surface (164) and a punch side cam surface (166), are arranged to move the die (124) and punch (130) into shearing engagement with the terminal upon pivoting of the two cam arms. A pair of followers (168, 170) are in following engagement with the die side and punch side cam surfaces (164, 166) so that when the followers are moved vertically by a linear actuator (184), the followers cause the cam arms to pivot.

Terminal insertion machine having improved shearing mechanism

A crimping tool has a movable die attached to a reciprocable slide member for movement toward and away from a fixed die. A pair of rollers are journaled for rotation in pivotable links carried by the slide member. An actuating mechanism includes a wedge which is movable between the pair of rollers to drive the rollers apart and into engagement with a pair of ramps, thereby moving the slide member and the movable die toward the fixed die. A biasing mechanism is selectively operable to bias the slide member and the movable die either toward or away from the fixed die with a relatively small force during times when the wedge is withdrawn from between the rollers.

Crimping tool having mechanism for selectively biasing crimping dies to

A portable crimping tool is disclosed that includes an actuating mechanism that varies the amount of force made available to the crimping dies. A linear actuator having an axis is provided to move a movable die along that axis into crimping engagement with the mating die. The actuating mechanism includes a pair of links pivotally attached to a slide member. A wedge carried by the linear actuator engages a pair of rollers on the links, causing the rollers to move about other rollers attached to the frame, thereby causing the links to move the dies into crimping engagement.

Portable crimping tool

A tool for crimping a terminal to an end of an electrical conductor has a movable fulcrum which reduces hand force required to operate the crimping tool. The tool includes main body having a handle end and a first jaw disposed remote from the handle end. A second jaw is pivotally connected to the main body between the handle end and the first jaw. The a second jaw cooperates with the first jaw to perform the crimping as the second jaw is pivoted toward the first jaw. A movable handle is operably connected to the second jaw to pivot the second jaw toward the first jaw. A driver link has a first end pivotally connected to the main body, and a second end of the driver link has a slidable connection with the movable handle. The slidable connection includes a pivot pin which is slidable in a slot defined in the movable handle. As the movable handle is operated to pivot the second jaw toward the first jaw, the fulcrum is displaced relative to the movable handle between at least a first position and a second position, thereby modifying a distance between the fulcrum and the connection of the movable handle with the second jaw.

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Harrisburg, PA, United States of America

Dale R Ryan